Liquid-fuel burner



Feb. 2, 1932. E WQQLLEY 1,843,411

LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed Nov. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l afnfz N WQ:

Feb. 2, 1932. E L WOLLEY 1,843,411

LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed Nov. 6, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Feb. 2, 1932l PATENT ori-lcs ERNEST L. WOOLLEY, 0F PROmENCE, RHODE ISLAND LIQUID-FUEL nu:y i.

.application mea November s, 1929. semi no. 405,216.

This invention relates to liquid-fuel burners, particularly to oil burnerssof the atomizer type, and consists in improRed means for controlling the capacity of the burner.

A principal object of the improvement is to provide means for varying the capacity of the burner throughout a relatively wide range Without varying the pressure in the atomizing-chamber.

Another object of the improvement is to provide an oil burner having a plurality of atomizer holes or ports with means for closing one or more of said holes vto vary the capacity of the burner through an external adjustment.

Another object of the improvement is to provide a burner having a capacity in accordance with maximum requirements and cagable of being adjusted to reduce its capacity y progressive stages without mpairing the efiiciency of the burner.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred form of construction of the invention, by way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: j l

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of a portion of an oil-burning apparatus showing a certain type of atomizing burner with the present improved capacity-adjusting means applied to use therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the burner `proper showing the atomizer at its tip and the present improved valve for regulating the flow of the fuel therethrough to adjust the capacity of the burner;

Fig. 8 is a detailed view of the indicator for the capacity-adjusting means;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the cam-mechanism for disconnecting the controlrod from the valve;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the atomizer taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the atomizer showing the valve-closure or shutter which closes the oil holes or ports therein and illustrating all but one of the ports as closed;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing twoof the ports vclosed and two open;

F ig. 8 is a similar view showing three of the ports open and one closed; and

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing all of the ports open.

.The present improved capacity-controlling means comprises in general avalve cooperating with the atomizer of the burner to close one or more of a plurality of holes or ports leadin to the tangential ducts which open into t e atomizing-chamber and adapted to be o erated externally from almanual control. s herein illustrated the invention is applied to use with a burner of substantially the same form and construction as that shown in my rior United Letters Patent Nos. 1,387,87 of August 16, 1921, and 1,428,574

'of September 12, 1922. j

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings,

5 designates a section of the burner casing which is applied to the fire-door of the furnace, and through which extends the burnertube 6 with its forward end projecting into the fire-box and carrying the burner-tip and atomizer, indicated generally at 7. The outer end of the burner-tube 6 is held in a U-shaped fitting 8, the upper branch of which is joined to a pipe-coupling or union 9 bolted at 10 to a boss 11 projecting from the front of the casing 5. A feed-pipe 13 is tapped into the side of the union 9 and connected at its opposite end to the source of supply of oil or other liquid fuel. The coupling Sis clamped to the end ofthe union 9 by means of a hand-screw 14 passing through a stirrup 15 which is swiveled at16 to the sides of the union with the end of the screw bearing against a boss 17; the arrangement of these parts being substantially the same as that shown in my prior 'Patent No. 1,428,574: and adapting the burner-tube to be readily uncoupled and removed from the furnace when required.

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, the burner proper com rises a nut-like cap or tip 18 screwed onto t e threaded forward end of the tube 6 and constructed to enclose th'e atomizer element 19 which it clamps against the tube. The closed end of the cap 18 is formed with a restricted axial opening 20 through which the fuel is sprayed and a rearward Haring throat 21 communicating therewith. p

The atomizer 19 is constructed in the form of a relatively fiat ldisk adapted to seat in a counterbore 22 in the cap 18,- whereby when the nut is screwed onto the tube '6 the disk will be clamped ixedly against the end thereof. The atomilzer-disk 19 is lformed with an axial counterbore' 23 which opens into the fiaring throat 21 of the burner tip 18 and provides a cylindrical chamber around which the fuel is whirled to atomize it by breaking it up into small particles. The fuel is fed into the atomizing-chamber 23 through a plurality of ducts 24 leading from the peri hery of the disk 19 and entering the cham er in a direction tangential to the cylindrical walls thereof. When the atomizer 19 is in place in the bore of the cap 18 the outer ends of the ducts 24 are.

closed by the walls of the bore asrillustrated in Fig. 2. As usually provided, and as herein shown, there are four tangential ducts 24 leadin into the atomizing chamber and the oil is fied thereto through an equal number of lateral holes 25 which communicate with the ducts from the rearward side of the atomizer. v

A perforated tube 27 extends axially within the tube 6 at the rear of the atomizer 19, being supported by a collar 28 seated in the bore 29 of the tube and fitting against the shoulder 30 and a second collar 32 at its o posite end, see Fig. 1. The perforated tu e 27 serves as a support for a screen-cloth strainer 31 which is thus held in position at the rear of the collar 28 with its sides spaced away from the inner walls of the tube 6. The fuel feeding through the tube 6 under pressure is caused to pass through the mesh of the strainer 31 to enter through the perforations in the pipe 27 at the rear of the collar 28. The fuel will thus be caused to fiow outwardly through the perforations of the tube 27 at a point beyond the collar 28 to feed it through the lateral holes 25 into the tangential ducts 24 of the atomizer 19.

The holes 25 serve as ports for the admission of the fuel to the ducts 24 and into the atomizing or whirling chamber 23, and to control the capacity of the burner the present invention provides a valve-closure or shutter 35 of unique construction which is adapted to be rotated to close the ports in succession. For example, with a four-hole atomizer as herein shown the shutter is arranged to be rotated to close 011e, two, or three of the four ports in succession whereby the burner capacity is reduced one-fourth, one-half or three-fourths; but in other instances a-greater or lesser number of ports may be provided in accordance with requirements. The valve-closure or shutter 35 is constructed in the form of a relatively thin disk arranged to rotate against the rearward g side of the atomizer 19 and having a circular hub 36 which is received within the end of the strainer-pipe 27.

The hub 36 is recessed with a square-sided socket 37 adapted to receive a squared projection 39 on the end of a control-rod 50 which provides means for turning the valve-closure or shutter 35 to adjust it from manually-operated means arranged .externally of the burner apparatus. A screw 38 screwed into the atomizer or disk 19 has its tapered head received in an axial counterbore at the end of the socket 37 and thus serves as a pivotbearing for the, shutter 35. y Referring particularly to Fig. 6 of the drawings the shutter 35 is provided with an arcuate slot 44 which is engaged by a screw 45 screwed into the disk 19. The screw 45 serves as a stop to limit the turning movement of the shutter 35 in the manner and for the purpose as later more fully explained.

The shutter 35, as before noted, is of peculiar construction, its rim being cut away to provide sectors or segments spaced around its periphery to adapt them to be turned successively across the ports 25 to close the latter and with the openings therebetween adapted to register with the ports when the shutter is turnedinto certain position to open them.A The segments of the shutter are of graduated size, the largest one 40 being arranged diametrically opposite the next smaller segment 41, and a third still smaller segment 42 being disposed therebetween. A fourth still smaller segment 43 is arranged diametrically opposite the segment 42, but this part of the shutter is not intended as a closure for any one of the port-s 25, being provided to serve as a `bearing against the interior bore 29 `of the tube'6 in order that the shutter may be supported on all sides.

For convenience of description, in Figs. 6 to 9 of the drawings the port at the top of the atomizer 19 is designated 1, that at the bottom 2, the one on the left-hand side 3, and thc other on the right 4. In the present construction and arrangement of the device port l remains open at all times, port 4 is adapted to be closed by the first turning movement of the shutter 35 in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the rear or facing the dial, port 3 when the shutter is turned to a further extent, and port 2 when the shutter is finally turned to the full extent permitted by the stopscrew 45, the complete method of operation of the device being as later more fully explained.

As before noted the shutter or valve-closure 35 is turned to open and close the ports in the atomizer 19 through the means of the rod 50 which extends axially of the burnertube 6 and projects through the fitting 8 at its rearward end as illustrated in Fig. 1. The

tending to urge the latter toward the tipA end of the burner to maintain its squared projection 39 seated in the socket 37 in the hub 36 of the valve-closure 35.

A hand-wheel 60, fastened to the outer end of the rod 50 by means of a nut 61, provides means for manually turning the rod; and an indicator 62, shown in detail in Fig. 3, cooperates with a scale or dial 63 to indicate the position of the valve-closure. The indicator 62 comprises an arm having a hub 64 secured iixedly on the rod 50 by means of a set-screw 65. Fastened to the end of the indicator-arm 62 is a spring-finger or pointer 66 having its end bent around and rounded off to adapt it to snap into indentations or depressions 67 spaced around the dial 63. The dial 63 may be constructed as a part of the casting of the union 8 and is provided with four indentations or depressions 67 which are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 to correspond to the number of holes or ports in the atomizer 19.

Means are provided for disconnecting the control-rod 50 from the valve-closure or shutter 35 when it is required to removev the tip of the burner for cleaning the atomizer. This means cooperates with the indicator-arm 62 to draw the rod 50 back against the pressure of the spring 56 whereby to remove its pro]ec tion 39 from the socket 37 in the hub of the shutter 35. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the lower edge of the scale or dial 63 isforined with a projecting lip 769 having an inclined cam-face 70 on which the arm 62 rides as it is turned counter-clockwise beyond the figures on the dial, or to a position opposite the word Clean. The lip 69 is formed with a depression 71 located beyond the cam-face 70,' into which the rounded side of the indicator-arm 62 snaps when it is turned to the position above noted. The depression 71 thus acts as a detent to hold the indicator-arm 62 in the position to which it has been turned to withdraw the end of the rod 50 from the socket 37 in the shutter 35. The method of operation of the complete device is as next explained.

Assuming that the burner' is being operated at maximum capacity with all of the four holes or ports in the atomizer 19 open, the pointer 66 will be at the index 4 on the scale or dial 63 and the shutter will then be in the position illustrated in Fig. 9. The fuel is supplied to the burner under pressure from Vthe effect of centrifugal force induced by the the pipe 13 and thence flows through the fitting 9 and union 8 to be forced through the burner-tube 6. Feeding yalong the tube 6 the fuel flows through the screen 31 and the perforations in the tube 27 at the rear of the collar 28, being emitted from the tube 27 beyond the collar 28 and entering the tangential ducts 24 through the ports 1, 2, 3, and 4. As the fuel is forced through the tangential ducts 24 a major part of the pressure energy is converted into kinetic energy whereby a high velocity is produced; this action being analoglous to that of a turbine steam-admission nozz e.

As the oil or other liquid fuel is injectedv through the ducts 24 into the atomizer-chamber 23 at a tangent to its cylindrical walls it will be whirled therearound at high velocity While at the same time being driven forward through the aperture 2O in the tip of the burner under` the influence of the residual pressure energy. As the particles of oil emerge through the aperture 20 in the tip of the burner they fly radially outward under whirling action and modified by the force due to the residual pressure acting in the direction of the axis of the burner, with the force of gravity being neglected. As the fuel is i nited at the tip'of the burner the resultant ame takes the form of a hollow cone having an included angle of approximately ninety degrees.

Now it willbe observed that the degree of atomization effected at the tip-of the burner depends upon the velocity of the fuel feed through the tangential atomizer ducts and that a certain minimum pressure is required at the ports of entrance to the ducts to obtain eiiiciency. In most types of burners where variation in capacity is required it is secured by providing a normal pressure above theF minimum requirements, and then when it is desired to reduce the capacity it is necessary no to change the atoinizer by substituting one with smaller holes or ports or, in other cases, one with fewer holes. The change or substitution in the atomizer requires its removal from the burner and therefore involves a loss of time and an expenditure of labor wniie the burner remains inoperative.

As provided by the present invention the capacity of the burner may be adjusted at will without disconnecting or removing any of its parts to substitute others of different size or capacity. Vhen the burner is to be operated at minimum capacity, or at a rate of one-fourth of the whole, the hand-wheel 6() is turned to set the pointer 62 at the index 1 on the dial 63 with the end ofthe springfinger 66 snapped into the appropriate indentation 67 vto maintain it in this position. With the indicator turned to this point on the dial theshutter 35 will be rotated to theposition shown in Fig. 6 as the stop-screw 45 brings up against the end of the slot 44. Tt will be observed that with the shutter 35 in this position the port 3 is covered and closed by the segment 41 on the shutter; the port 2 'closed by the segment 42; andthe port 4 closed by the segment 40. As the burner'operates under this adjustment the oil will 'eed only through port 1, but the pressure o the feed is not reduced so that the fuel tiows int the atomiZing-chamber 23 at full velocity to secure the maximum atomization. Tn other words, the amount of the feed is reduced without decreasing the velocity of the fuel flow so that the efficiency of the atomizer is not impaired.

To increase the capacity ot the burner to one-half the maximum the hand-wheel is turned to bring the pointer 62 opposite the index 27 on the scale whereby the shutter 35 will be turned into the position illustrated in Fig. 7. This last turning movement of the shutter removes the segment 42 from register with the port 2 in the atomizer 19 so that ports 1 and 2 are open while ports 3 and 4 remain closed due to the greater area of the segments 41 and 40.

To increase the capacity o the burner to three-fourths of the maximum the hand- Wheel 60 isturned to bring the pointer 62 opposite the index 3 on the scale 63, at which point the shutter 35 will be turned to the position illustrated in Fig. 8. Under this turning movement the segment 4l of the shutter 35 rides od from port 3 while port 4 remains covered by the longest segment 40, ports 1, 2, and 3 being thus opened while port 4 remains closed.

Finally, to increase the capacity of the burner to maximum the hand-wheel 6() is turned again to bring the pointer 62 opposite the index 4 on the dial whereby the shutter 35 will be turned to the position illustrated in Fig. 9. This last turning movement of theshutter causes the end of its longest segment 40 to ride beyond the edge ofport 4 so that the latter registers with the relatively small opening between this segment and the segment 42, and the other ports are also registered with the appropriate openings on the rim of the shutter. The burner will then operate at maximum capacity with all of the ports open. It will thus be seen that the present burner is capable of four adjustments to provide a variable capacity of one-fourth, one-half, three-fourths and the whole of its maximum capacity.

When it is required to clean the burner the hand-wheel 60 is turned to bring the pointer 66 opposite the word Clean on the dial. Under this action the indicator-arm 62 rides up the cam-face and snaps into the detent depression-w71 to hold it in position. The cam 70 is thus caused to act on the-arm 62 to slide the rod 50 rearwardly to withdraw its projection 39 from the socket 37 in the hub of the raaaeii shutter 35. The burner-tip or cap 18 can then be unscrewed and the atomizer 19 removed for cleaning which is accomplished by forcing a wire or other suitable yinstrument through its holes and ducts.

Tt is a simple and easy matter to replace the atomizer after cleaning. With the atomizer seated in the counterbore 22 of the cap 18 the latter is screwed onto the end of the burner-tube 6, the valve-closure 35 being turned to full open position as shown in Fig. 9 before the atomizer is inserted in place. After the atomizer has been clamped Xedly against the end of the tube 6 by tightening the cap or tip 18 on the screw-threadsithe hand-wheel 60 is turned to the right or clockwise to move the indicator-arm 62 out of the detent-recess 71 and down the cam-face 70. As the indicator is turned in this direction the rod 50 will be rotated to bring its projection 39 into register with the socket 37 in the hub 36 of the shutter 35, and as the arm 62 rides off from the cam-face 70 the projection will slide into the socket as the spring 56 forces the rod 50 toward the tip of the burner. The clockwise turning of the rod is continued until the stop-screw 45 brings up against the end of the slot 44 in the shutter 35 as the valve reaches the position shown in Fig. 6. rlhe set-screw 65 on the pointer-arm 62 is then loosened, the pointer set at index 1 and the screw tightened again. The pointer is thus properly adjusted to indicate the position of the valve-closure and the parts are in position for furtheroperation.

The construction of this part of the apparatus provides for convenient removal of the atomizer for cleaning or replacement and facilitates its reassembling in place with a proper adjustment of the indicator. Tn this way the control-valve is rendered prooi2 against incorrect location of its parts in reassembling it and the whole apparatus is made more convenient and easy to care for.

While ll have herein shown and described the improved capacity-controlling or adjusting-means for the burner as applied to use with an atomizer having four holes or feedducts, it is obvious that it may be employed with atomizers of other types and capacities. Likewise, the design of the parts of the control-valve may be varied as desired to adapt the device for other types of burners, and Jfurther modifications may be made in the form and construction of the elements of the apparatus without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention.

Therefore, without limiting myself to the precise form of construction shown, l claim:

1. In a liquid-fuel burner, the combination of an atomizer having an atomiZing-chainber with a plurality of ducts leading then-into, ports in the atomizer communicating with the ducts, a shutter rotatable with respect to the. atomizer and adapted to successively close the ports therein, a control-rod for rotating the shutter, and means operable from the outside of the burner to disconnect the control-rod from the shutter.

2. In a liquid-fuelburner, the combination of an atomizer having a plurality of feedduct-s and provided with ports communicating with the ducts, a rotatable valve adapted to successively close the ports, a rod for rotating the valve, a hand-Wheel for turning the rod, a pointer on the rod, a dial cooperating with the pointer to indicate the open and closed position of the valve, and depressionson the dial adapted to be engaged by the pointer to maintain the valve in its dierent positions of adjustment.

3.r In a liquid-fuel burner, the combination of an atomizer having a plurality of feedducts with ports communlcating therewith, a rotatable valve for closing the ports, a rod releasably connected With the valve to adapt it to turn the latter, and means operated when the rod is turned beyond the furthest point of adjustment ofthe valve to disconnect the rod therefrom.

4. In a liquid-fuel burner, the combination of an atomizer having a plurality of feedducts with ports communicating therewith, a shutter rotatable with respect to the atomizer to successively close the ports therein and provided with a socket, a rod having a portion adapted to bev received in the socket in the shutter to turn the latter, a spring for holding the rod in connection with the shutter, a cam, and means cooperating with the cam to Withdraw the rod from connection With the shutter when the latter is turned to the furthestlextent of adjustment.

5. In a liquid-fuel burner, the combination of a feed-pipe, an atomizer connected With said pipe and provided with a plurality of' feed-ducts and ports leading into the ducts, a valve rotatable with respect to the atomizer to adapt it to successively close the ports therein, a rod extending axially through the feed-pipe with its end connected to rotate the valve, a stuiing-box at the opposite end of the feed-pipe through which the rod projects, means at the outer end of the rod for manually turning it, to adjust the valve, and means operated by a further turning movement of the rod to disconnect it from the valve.

6. In a liquid-fuel burner, the combination of a feed-pipe, a cap secured to the end of said pipe, an atomizer-disk held in the cap, said disk provided with a cylindrical atomizing-chamber and tangential ducts leading into the chamber, ports in the atomizer communicating with the ducts from the interior of the feed-pipe, a disk-like valve shutter rotatable Within the feed-pipe at the rear of the atomizer-disk` and cut away at its rim to provide spaced segmental portions arranged to register with the ports in the atomizingdisk, a rod extending axially through the feed-pipe and connected with the valve to rotate the latter, and manually-operable means for turning the rod.

7 In a liquid-fuel burner, the combination of an atomizer having a cylindrical atomizing-chamber with ducts leading tangentially thereinto and lateral ports communicating therewith, a shutter rotatable with respect to the atomizer and having portions arranged to successively close the ports therein, a rod connected to rotate the shutter, means for limiting the turning movement of the shutter, a dial, a pointer on the rod cooperating with the dial to indicate the open and closed position of the shutter, and camming-means operating to Withdraw the rod from connection with the shutter when the latter has been turned to its full extent in one direction.

8. In a liquid-fuel burner, the combinai tion of a feed-pipe, a cap screwed to the end of the pipe and provided with an axial aperture, an atomizing-disk held Within the cap and provided With a central atomizing-chamber registering with the aperture in the cap,

said disk having tangential ducts leading into the atomizing-chamber with lateral ports opening thereinto from the interior of the feed-pipe, a disk-like valve-closure rotatable against the rearward face of the atomizingdisk and having its rim provided with segments of graduated size arranged to be successively turned across the ducts, a rod extending axially through the feed-pipe and connected to rotate the valve to close the ports in succession, and means for rotating the rod.

9. In a liquid-fuel burner, the combination of an atomizer having a plurality of feedducts and ports leading into the ducts, a valve for closing one or more of said ports, manually-operable means for adjusting the valve, and means accessible at a point remote from the atomizer for disconnecting the adjusting-- mcans from the valve.

10. In a liquid-fuel burner, the combination of an atomizer having a plurality of feed-ducts and ports leading into the ducts, a rotatable valve for progressively closing said ports, a rod releasably connected to said valve, manually-operable means for turning the'rod to adjust the valve, and means accessible at a point remote from the atomizer for disconnecting the rod from the valve.

11. In a liquid-fuely burner, the combination of a feed-pipe, an atomizer at one end of the pipe provided with a plurality of feedducts and ports leading from the feed-pipe to the ducts, a shutter rotatable with respect to the atomizer to adapt it to successively close the ports therein, a rod extending axially of the feed-pipe, resiliently-operated means connecting the rod to rotate the shutter, manu ally-operable means for turning the rod, and means operative When the shutter is turned to its extreme of adjustment to disconnect the rod from the shutter.

12. In a liquidfuel burner, the combination of a feed-pipe, an atomizei at one end of the 'pipe provided with feed-ducts and ports y leadmg into the ducts from the pipe, a shut- 5 ter rotatable with respect to the atomizer to adapt it to successively close the ports, a rod extending axially of the pipe and releasably connected with the shutter, manually-opel;- able means at the outer enel of the rod for 10 adjusting the shutter, and means for sliding the rod axially of the pipe to disconnect it from the shutter.

ln testimony whereof ll afx my signature.

ERNEST L. WUOLLEY. 

